The Lion and the Wolf
by NightElf13
Summary: The Legion has returned to Azeroth, leaving Anduin Wrynn to face his greatest challenge. Will a new relationship help him defeat his inner demons or send him deeper into despair? ***SPOILERS FOR LEGION*** One-shot.


**Author's Note: I don't think there's really any precedent for an Anduin/Tess Greymane pairing, but I thought it would be kind of fun. This is pure angst, so read on if you're into that kind of thing XD. SPOILERS, obviously. I couldn't find a solid source confirming Anduin's age but I'm guessing him to be around 21/22 in Legion. No confirmation for Tess either, although I'm aware she's older.**

 **Enjoy!**

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The first of the sun's rays were just breaking over the horizon as Anduin rose. Pulling on a robe and leaving his long hair loose around his shoulders, he stepped onto the balcony that adjoined his chamber and took a deep breath of air.

He needed to get away. Away from the darkness that surrounded him; away from _her._ Once outside, he dared himself to peek back through the velvet curtains. Her figure was immediately visible, nestled comfortably in his bed.

 _Tess Greymane._ The guilt, as he expected— as it had the dozen or so times before— descended almost immediately. The past night's events were already playing on a loop inside his head. The small gathering of dignitaries, followed by dinner and dancing. Anduin had attended the evening out of duty, nothing more, tending to his guests with a sense of unease; that is, until Tess Greymane had arrived, looking regal on her father's arm.

What had made him ask her to stay? Desire, maybe. The desire not to be alone, certainly.

He turned away from his chamber to face the city below. Stormwind stretched out impressively before him, a vast labyrinth of cobblestone flanked on one side by the sea and on the other by a mighty forest. For most of his subjects, Anduin knew, the day was only just beginning. He could picture the children still warm in their beds; the craftsmen, plodding happily to their shops; the dockmaster, shouting orders as the morning's shipments arrived. All around him was life and yet, by the Light, his own existence had never felt so cold and empty.

"Anduin." Tess spoke softly from behind him, and when he turned to face her, he was once again struck by her beauty. Black hair framing a roundish face, with big dark eyes and porcelain skin. Nightdress grazing her hips, making her slim figure look toned and muscular.

He was attracted to her; he had been since their first meeting, some years before. Shy and studious, he had never pursued her, choosing instead to focus on his training.

She was older and, as he had recently discovered, more experienced. Yet somehow, over the course of a long and restrained relationship, they had become more than friends.

She approached him, her hands sliding along his back and circling his waist, until they met just above his navel. With a sigh, she pressed her face into his shoulder and for a moment, he was content to let her rest there, leaning comfortably into him, as they both gazed at the city below.

When he finally spoke, his words were harsher than he had intended.

"We can't keep doing this."

He wanted to say so much more. That his father's death had left him raw; that each touch she gave him, each emotion she made him feel, cut into his heart like a hot knife.

Except ever since that dark day, words had been failing him. His gift for oration, the skillful way he brokered peace between the Horde and the Alliance- all of it was gone. That version of Anduin was, he told himself, now lost to the past.

Tess's arms tightened around him. Had she not understood? At once, Anduin felt another swoop of guilt. He moved to get away from her, but to his surprise, she held him firmly in her grasp.

"Anduin," Tess said again, reclining her head so that she could see him clearly. "You can't keep running away. What happened to your father can't be undone."

She reached up to push a strand of hair from his eyes. It was a familiar, intimate gesture; instinctively, Anduin turned and pressed his face into her palm.

"He wouldn't want you to lose yourself," Tess continued softly. "And I'm worried that you will. He wouldn't want you to stop living."

"I _am_ living." He hadn't meant to sound angry, just sincere. Tess seemed to understand; she nodded, beckoning him to continue. "Every breath I take," he said hoarsely, "it's for my people. It's to prove I can be a good leader, the type this kingdom deserves. It's to continue _his_ legacy…"

As he spoke, his eyes became unfocused. He knew from his training that he was especially attuned to suffering. As a priest, as a guardian of the Light, he felt what others didn't, which usually included the pain of the injured and dying.

Now this ability, which he had once considered a gift, had become an unbearable burden. In his mind's eye, he saw his father, lying near death on the Broken Shore. It was a vision that plagued him day and night. He could feel the king's fear coursing through him. The white-hot agony, radiating from a wound in his abdomen. And worst of all, the undeniable regret, which Anduin shared, that their time together as father and son was not better spent.

It was too much for his weakened body to handle. Anduin wiped a hand across his damp brow and looked for something that would steady him. Tess was there, grasping his arm and helping him towards a nearby bench.

"I'm OK," he said, attempting a half-smile once they were seated.

"I just need some time alone to think."

It was only partially true. He needed time to think, but he feared being alone almost as much as his father had feared death.

Down below them, a clock chimed, signalling the passing of another hour. Anduin squeezed Tess's hand.

"Go. Please, go. Your father will be wondering where you are."

A ghost of a smile played on her lips. "I think he has _some_ idea of where I am. Still, if that's what you want…" Her eyes flickered to the crowds gathering in the courtyard below. There were creatures from all over the realm. Elves, dwarves, even a panderen or two. All would be waiting for an audience with the King. Tess knew as well as he did that her father would be among them.

Anduin watched sadly as she rose and slipped back through the velvet curtains. But to his surprise, she reappeared a moment later, clutching an envelope tightly to her chest.

"Tess?" He asked uneasily.

She bit her lip, her eyes searching his face as though she was unsure what to do next. Finally, she took a few steps forward and thrust the envelope into his hands.

"Read it," she said.

He was surprised by her forcefulness. Carefully, he turned the envelope over and realized it was addressed to Genn Greymane.

"I took it from his nightstand," Tess confessed sheepishly. "I know I shouldn't have read it…"

Suddenly, Anduin felt dizzy. It wasn't her father's name, scrawled elegantly in blue ink that had thrown him, but the hand it was written in. His breath coming in small gasps, Anduin tore open the envelope, no longer caring that it belonged to someone else. Hungrily, he read the letter inside:

 _Genn,_

 _Light knows we haven't always seen eye to eye._

 _If, Light help me, I should fall against the Legion then know that I fell in the service of the Alliance. It pains me deeply to recall those events long ago when, driven by my own foolishness, I did not provide aid for Gilneas when they needed it most._

 _And now I must ask you a favor. I am at peace with my life, but I cannot depart without knowing my son will be cared for. I have written a letter to each leader of the Alliance, asking humbly that they guide and protect Anduin in my absence. If I fall, he shall be king. The realm will be better served by his grace, kindness, and humility than it ever was by me. I beg of you, do not let these best parts of my son be tainted by evil, self-doubt, or the lust for the power. May he always walk in the Light knowing that I, whether dead or alive, walk beside him._

 _Your brother in arms,_

 _Varian Wrynn_

"I…I shouldn't have taken it," Tess stammered. "I just wanted you to see it. To know that your father..."

Anduin looked up, his eyes shining with tears. "Thank you," he whispered. He reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly. "This is just what I needed."

A sense of peace washed over him as he considered that his father was protecting him, even now. Varian had called upon the leaders of the Alliance to watch over him, yet the letter was also proof that he believed in Anduin's natural abilities, unconditionally.

And so, it would seem, did Tess. For the first time, he allowed himself to seriously imagine a future with her by his side. Strong, wise and beautiful, there was no doubt she would make an excellent queen.

But those were thoughts for another day. "Come on," he said, still sniffling slightly. He smiled as he examined their joined hands. "Would you care to join me for breakfast?"

Tess chuckled, the stress of the morning already melting away.

"I thought you'd never ask," she replied.


End file.
